The opioid abuse problem in Northeast Michigan did not occur overnight, nor will it go away in one day.

Education, treatment, and behavioral changes all have to occur if those on the front line of this war hope to win the battle.

As any military commander will attest, having the proper weapons to fight the war is important. Toward that end, local health services personnel have been awarded a $1 million grant to aid battle efforts here against opioid addiction.

The grant announcement was welcome news, indeed, to all of us this week, but particularly so to a consortium of people addressing the issue.

“Addiction hijacks your brain,” said Jill Oesterle, manager for Rural Health Clinic Services for the Michigan Center for Rural Health in a story this week. “It’s not just bad behavior.”

She said the federal grant will be used to offer assistance with housing, employment, peer recovery coaches, and other support services for those struggling with opioid addiction. It will also provide education for law enforcement, health care professionals, and the general public.

Talking about the issue, Kara Steinke, regional manager for Catholic Human Services, said “this is a community problem, and it’s going to take all of us to get past this initial crisis and then go upriver and prevent it from continuing.”

Thanks to the federal grant, we’ve been given the resources to begin paddling.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)